从产后忧郁症想起…
Thursday, 22 June, 2006
话说..., 中文部落格 | 笔者: Twinsmom
刚读了 mumsgather 的一篇张贴,一位有产后忧郁症的新妈妈在依猫里抒发她的感受。
我不记得自己有没有产后忧郁症,或许当时太忙,忙着照顾双生宝宝,忙着给她们授乳,忙着泵奶,泵奶的时候又忙着看电视连续集。又或许我真的非常善忘,否则不是因为读回我以前给授乳支援网写的求救依猫,我真的一点也不记得我其实曾经有过产后忧郁症。
当时我虽然担心自己的奶水不够给两个宝宝,可是那并不是造成我有产后忧郁症的原因,因为我手上有一个接生妇和一个授乳咨询的电话,必要的时候我可以花钱去让她们上门拜访(说“必要时”是因为当时一下生了两个宝宝,手头很紧)。
也并非是双生爸爸没有帮忙,他累积了一整年的年假,在年尾宝宝出世的时候一次过拿完假期,整个月陪着我一起照顾宝宝(请一个陪月妇照顾双生宝宝五千块*神经病*,不够钱请陪月妇,不能出钱,只好出力了),亲手亲为给宝宝换洗已经很好了,还外带支持我授乳。如果这样的劳工老公还要嫌的话,那就不要活着的好了。
那为什么主要的两个因素都不在范围以内,还会造成产后忧郁症呢?
主要是自己本身对人对事的要求太高。
要求越高 = 失望越大。
很基本的方程式,每个人都懂,包括你我那只有两三岁大的孩子。(连数学零蛋的双生妈妈都懂,没有理由读到大学毕业的你们不懂呗)
当做月期满后,双生爸爸回到工作岗位(虽然他表面上看似担心,但是我知道他心中欢呼),两个宝宝一起哭,我跟着她们一起哭。结果发觉原来她们不会好像她们的爸爸那样,看到我哭会不再生气然后给我安慰。只好改变方式,抱起一个,让另外一个继续哭。这个不哭了,放回下床,再抱另外一个还在哭的。就这样替换。
我满以为家婆会帮忙,谁知道她也功成身退了。有时傍晚六点明明夫姐都放工回来了,可是没有人声。总得等到八九点双喜爸爸放工回来,忽然间楼上热闹起来,夫姐和家婆都上来了,霎时间人声沸腾,晚上宝宝过度刺激睡不着了!总之就是要人的时候没人,不用人的时候个个都怕鬼似的壅在一起。
本来也没有什么,当妈妈就是要抱孩子的,责任之一,没什么好怨。但是糟在楼下天井处有四个当婆婆了的女人在搓麻将。原本我管我的抱孩子,你管你抱搓麻将,井水不犯河水。可是就好像戏院里的“解画佬”那样的讨厌,人家戏院里都有声音了你还咕嘲什么呢?
“做咩哭啊?”(当然不是问为什么我哭)
“喺唔喺肚饿啊?”(还没有时间吃饭,不过也不是问我)
“做咩重唔俾奶BB食啊?”(是啰,我喜欢饿宝宝够够)
“是不是妈咪无奶?”(屌…)
“阴功…唔好咁样嚟饿个BB啦。”(干那塞…)
然后既然问了我都没有答复,她们只好四个人自说自话。
“佢一个人都好本事啰,一个人看两个…”(美言两句)
“无办法啰,唔通你帮佢睇咩,我地D年纪爱享福啰,重帮睇孙,不得死咩?”(话锋一转)
“係啊,千祈唔好掂,拉屎上身,迟D想甩身都唔得。”(落井下石)
“…”(我学鸵鸟)
忽然间觉得我们三母女好像洪水猛兽一样,心情超级干那塞。
在当时的情形底下,没有办法不难过。可是难过归难过,“难过”既不能吃又不能穿,没有理由收着它。收拾心情,假装这个世界只有自己一个人和两个宝宝,除了自己没有其他人可以依靠,一切亲力亲为,不要再去奢望其他的人会来帮忙。反而这么整理心情之后,一切都从容就手。
别人是怎么想我不知道,可是在我的例子中,我以为产后忧郁症的发生是因为我觉得孤独,其实不如说孤独的根源是因为我有期望,期望别人的帮助,当我的期望落空,自然的我会失望,然后觉得孤独,孤独的时候就自怨自叹,相比之下越自怨自叹,就越坐困愁城,然后就越自己封闭起来。或许我应该庆幸自己是个相当乐观的人,或许说是因为我来自一个很乐观的家庭环境,又或许是因为我有个富创意的脑袋,当期望不到一加一等于二的时候,不如跳出框外,让它变成两条腿快快逃离牛角尖?
另外一个让我逃离自怨自叹的方式是比较方程式,不要把自己往高(好)的比,往高的比只会落得个跌得一身伤,往低的比。看看报纸,有些宝宝出世就有问题,还不知活不活得过周岁。有些妈妈失去了孩子,想听宝宝哭都不能够。要不就比一比住在我家再往里一点的木屋区,她们的住宿卫生环境比我差多了,收入也比我们家少,她们还一个接一个的生,一个人带五个孩子也不过这么过。这么比一比顿时觉得自己幸运得多了。
有朋友问我为什么没有看Desperate Housewives,我问她有什么好看?个个模样都比我漂亮,身材比我瘦,房子比我大,汽车比我多,她们瘦死的骆驼比我的马还大,我还花时间坐在电视前观赏她们卷帘怨西风?
一个帮佣的妇女说:“我在乡下没有听过有人生了孩子之后有这个病,可能我们读书不多不知道。个个坐月之后都忙着做工,没有时间想太多…”
所以我解产后忧郁症的处方是 – 比下不比上,不要想太多。
注:我在停止授乳之后还有一次的忧郁症,但那是生理上的因素居多,以后有时间再说。
To avoid having depression, compare ourself with those doing worst than us, and don’t think too much. Also not to expect from others (to help), the more we expect, the more disappointment we might get, high expectation = great disappointment = depression.
And open a blog and rant it out, really, it help.

我老觉得最根源的原因是我们亚洲华人的生活观念. 自古以来, 每个妈妈都被认定是天生就会看孩子的, 不需要任何指导和教育. 你们有看过任何学校课程有教你如何照顾小孩吗? 很多女人生了小孩过后 (除了本性非常乐观的), 我相信很多都曾经得过某种程度的产后忧虑症. 可悲的是连她们自己也不察觉到, 身边的人也懒得理会, 更不用讲什么看心理医生了. 还有一点就是我们太不习惯和别人(夫妻在内)分享我们的感受, 不像先进国家的人, 什么都可以讲一通. 可能是尴尬吧! 也可能是我们从小就被骂到怕了, 什么不好的都收在心底, 只怕有一天爆发了, 就得进青山了!
Egghead, 早有这方面知识的可以有个防范,但是还是关于到人的心理,我认识一个朋友的妻子,她本来好好没有事的,可是因为和家婆不合不和,结果以产后忧郁症来要挟我的朋友,结果家婆搬走了,她的病也好了。
Sometimes depression is caused by bad hormones. I usually go to sleep when I am depress. Wake, its another new day.
ok.. english pluzeeeee..!
haha, mamabok, i got lazy reading the chinese; went and translate it at babelfish.altavista.com. The translation damn sucky.
I have to agree with michelle, sometimes it is caused by hormonal imbalance. I have a friend who is facing this problem now and is seeking medication help. I dunno how it is in Msia, but in US, post-natal depression is a major concern now (thanks to Tom Cruise and his stupid comment).
Vien: Not babel fish, because mariah’s chinese very deep and profound that babel fish also cannot translate.
>> Michelle, Vien, Mamabok, yes, the bad hormone balance play a great part in depression.
I had a second wave of depression, because of mantitis I being adviced immediate stop on breastfeeding, so the hormone surge caused me had the depression, and I totally unaware about it, until must later. But I didn’t seek for professional help, I search the internet, and got the info about vit B and Evening primerose oil, and it did help lor.
So compare my 1st depression and the second, I found my 1st one more likely just because I expected too much, and caused the disappointment.
But the second one are much worst, not something a optimistic mind can easily shake it off :lol:.
Emm? what does this Tom Cruise said about post-natal depression? his wife got it? I won’t be surprise, (let me live in the comment board for a day LOL) thier wedding and having baby is more like a reality show, rather than a normal settle down have family kind of thing. so high profile, wonder will he ended up like Micheal Jackson, cover the baby’s face with veil, sounds like we need more weirdo celebraties to lead the trend.
Celebraties always make a lot people hoo-haa isn’t it? like the breast cancer celeb in the down under, my SIL#4 said the women in downunder suddenly all swamp to the hospital to check their breast.
Thanks goodness the people still have sense, otherwise we see a lot parents might holding their baby out the balcony.
But there really is post natal depression.
I had it too when I have Zara.. maybe one day should blog about it.
Of course there are cases of really the post-natal depression, my mom once told me her friend (30 years ago) suicide because of post-natal depression, and left behind an infant. and because of this, my mom warned me when I was pregnant.
maria, google “tom cruise, brooke shields, postnatal depression.” you will get the story behind it.
依D病是福贵病!
针對下药、这心病不难医的!事在人為!
绝对buy妳話” 比下不比上,不要想太多” 加上你講那位住在木屋读书不多的婦人家、做人简單活得简单‧我就話佢旣態度同心得才是我们学习的目標!
有時讀多书旣人‧也未必令悟到”身在福中不知福”
“簡單、快活” 的境界真是不容易令悟架!
其實那在木屋读书不多的婦人家是给了我们這代幸福少奶奶做人處事的其中心靈上的啟發吧!
謝謝妳的分享!
我产前和产后都有忧虑症.产前老公只会玩online game 没有帮忙看儿子,产后一样只顾玩电脑没有帮忙看三个小孩.那时候很想离家出走,还好有家婆开解,不然已经离婚了.
还好我只有产前忧郁症,那时老公大多时候都不在身边,自己体重又暴增;平时吃饱有没事做就开始胡思乱想(那时已开始不用工作了)。想多了就钻牛角尖,这一钻就钻出病了。还好发生在怀孕后期,孩子一出世,大事小事所有事都一脚踢。忙顾孩子,忙减肥,忙那永远忙不完的家务,睡觉的时间都没了哪还有时间胡思乱想?一没乱想病就没了! 哈哈..
>> Vien, gosh… this Tom’my can really go full force to promote his religion belief huh? waliau… and I think what Brooke Shield is just so appropiate and true, LOL… Tom’my may be should try and pregnant and see how he feel. Oops! too bad, guy can’t pregnant.
>> BT, 真的是看各人, 一样米养百种人,一种病生在不同的人身上不同的反应 ;).
>> 1+2mom, LOL… poor twinsdad hardly touch the game mechine after the girls came to the world :P.
>> Shiaulin, LOL… sama-sama, but I don’t think I have pre-natal blue also, over the moon liao, after three years of waiting and strike “lottery” LOL…
[…] After reading MG’s and Twinsmom’s post on this topic, I have my share to write about. YES, I had it, I had it TWICE with each birth. I remember feeling very depress, crying alot for over some meagre issue or maybe it wasn’t an issue at all, but somehow I just felt depressed about it. […]